Friday, September 8, 2017

These pictures were taken over a year ago, and she's already grown out of these pajamas. Since then, she's given up her paci, gotten potty-trained, and grown several inches!

My favorite part of Charlotte these days is how many words she has - and how particular she is about what she wants. It all makes sense now - why, as a baby, she got so feisty and grumpy and bent out of shape sometimes. She knew exactly what she wanted, but didn't have the vocabulary to describe it. I imagine, someday, earlier than most, she'll have a defined style, a clear sense of who she is and what she wants to be...and she'll be feisty and unrelenting about attaining it.

This isn't surprising. After all, her name means strength. We've prayed Proverbs 31 for her often - that she'd be clothed in strength and dignity. Anyone who has had the privilege of hanging out with Charlotte for more than five minutes knows the girl is strong. Her little legs are thick with muscle, her voice is commanding, her opinions are expressed with boldness... She takes after her daddy in trying every new adventure with fearlessness and gusto.

I imagine, someday, she'll be called "bossy" or "high maintenance" or "pushy" or "opinionated," but in those times she'll feel misunderstood. She'll just be a girl that knows what she wants - and she won't be afraid to say it.

Until then, I'll do my best to teach her ways to ask and act with grace and humility. She's got the strength thing covered - we're working on the dignity part! ;)

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

My sister is going to be really mad at me for saying this, but IT'S FALL, you guys. I know this because I saw scarecrows and indian corn at Hobby Lobby last week and my calendar says it's September. Both of those things mean IT IS FALL, Naomi. Nevermind all that Autumn Equinox and astronomical season mumbo-jumbo - Starbucks is selling Pumpkin Spice Lattes, so...

In other news, I am unbelievably behind on blogging. I know this because these play dough pictures are from LAST YEAR at this time, and I still haven't posted them. #momlife

Our family just loves play dough kits, and this one was no different. I make them for me because I love to dream up a theme and pull cute things together in organized compartments. I also make them for me because they usually buy me full hours of quiet time while the kids are content to create play dough masterpieces. I make them for the kids because sensory play is good and healthy, and because I want to encourage creativity in our home. And, in general, I think it's good for all of us to celebrate seasons - to be mindful of them and to lean into their natural rhythms. Maybe a silly play dough kit is one way to do that sort of thing.

Point taken. Mermaids are sea creatures that kinda look like girls. Charlotte wins a mermaid party.

The super adorable Meri Meri brand has an entire line devoted to a mermaid theme, but I have strong feelings about getting TOO themey. I like parties to have a strong and cohesive theme, but look collected and a little bit eclectic. I'm splurging a bit to buy some cute Meri Meri mermaid plates, but I'll veer off into Target + Wal-Mart land for cheaper accessories.

And can I just draw a bit of attention to this rad shell punch bowl?! I know, I know - it looks cheap and weird in the Oriental Trading picture, but it is speaking to me, you guys. I MUST do something marvelous and show-stopping with this bad boy.

Friday, May 26, 2017

Will is going through a not-listening phase. I'm fully convinced his ears are absolutely immune to my voice. I can yell at the top of my lungs, whisper close to his ear, get down on my knees so my eyes are at his level - no response. Not even a flinch.

He must be absolutely brain dead. Completely deaf. There ARE words coming out of my mouth right?! Surely his ear infection did not do THIS much damage.Please just listen. Please just obey.
We just finished a long stretch of spring rain. Dreary gray clouds and streaky wet windows for days and days and days. It was absolute drudgery trying to be productive and efficient on those long and sleepy days. Despite coffee and organized to-do lists and pep talks and all my greatest motivational tricks, I swear I got nothing done for two whole weeks. Not even a smidge of work. I may as well have been brain dead.

And then, on the very last day of rain, it dawned on me. Those rainy days were mamas - trying to get through to me, trying to get me to pay attention.

Please just listen. Please just obey.
Every blessed pitterpat on my roof saying, "Listen up! SLOW DOWN. Read a book. Find a blanket." Every dreary cloud trying its darnedest to lull me to sleep - to take one of those glorious, heavy, indulgent sorts of naps right in the middle of the day. The deeper-than-you-think puddles in the grocery store parking lot reminding my toes it was NOT the time to be running errands, bustling around town like a mad woman. "Go home. Make some tea. Put on your sweatpants. TAKE A NAP."

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Have you seen the new PBS Kids show Splash + Bubbles? Will has been loving it. He is so interested in all the names of sea creatures and is learning a lot!

When I asked him what kind of party he wanted this year, he rotated between lots of things, but finally landed on Splash + Bubbles. The only problem? The show is SO new, there are hardly any Splash + Bubbles toys available and nothing out there for themed party gear. I decided to plan loosely - more ocean themed, with a few Splash + Bubbles tidbits here and there.

Let me just say here that the more theme parties you do, the cheaper they become. More and more, I'm collecting a stash of reusable things in the basement that make parties a little more budget friendly. The more neutral, the more use I get out of things! For the bigger purchases, like cake stands and bowls, I like to stick to whites and natural wood tones with a few gold and silver things here and there. Then, the specific theme color scheme can be pulled together with a cheap pack of party napkins and plates. #winning

Those of you who follow my blog and parties are probably starting to notice I'm sticking to a pretty basic decorating template all the time, too. Cupcakes on one side, party favors on the other, a centerpiece that takes up a lot of room (less need for more decor), and tableware down the middle. Following a loose template helps me keep things simple (if it works, don't fix it!) and even more budget-friendly.

Party Lovers, please stop spending billions of dollars on beautifully decorated cakes. Go to Wal-Mart and buy a dozen white cupcakes for $7 and add some toppers of your own. I found some Splash + Bubbles clipart online for free, printed them on card stock, cut them into circles, and taped them to some leftover lollipop sticks. From there, we cut apart some clearanced plastic aquarium sea weed to make a little arrangement. These cupcakes turned out to be my favorite so far!

These little fish bowls are plastic and very inexpensive from our local pet store. I already had one on hand for the kids' pet shop play center - score! Shopping my house before buying party gear always, always, always pays off.

Major thumbs up to Target for their new Cheeky line of party ware. Every design is adorable. Glad I had an excuse to buy these plates!

And seriously... What's an ocean themed party without SHARK GUMMIES?! Praise the Lord for Amazon Prime and their selection of specialty candies with free shipping. Hugs, Amazon.

Simple party favors and Splash + Bubbles tags made from free online clipart and leftover Washi tape. Will LOVED writing his own name on each card (with Mama's help, of course).

And yes, I bought a stuffed octopus. It was totally frivolous and silly, but I saw it on Target online and it spoke to me, alright?! Will has since named it Oliver and sleeps with it every night. Overall, I still think it was $15 well-spent.

Will's favorite food nowadays is sandwiches, (Please insert a super awesome Joey Tribbiani GIF here...) which is totally fine by me, because does party food GET any easier than sandwiches, chips and a cutie?! No. No, it does not.

I would like to take a second to brag about our neighbors. These kids are just the best. Though half of them are already in middle school, they are still sweet enough to play with Will and Charlie and still seem delighted to attend their parties. I know this season won't last forever, but we are relishing every moment we can. Will and Charlotte worship the ground they walk on, and we are so thankful for the enormous blessing they are to us. We love our cul de sac family.

Let me give you one more piece of unsolicited advice here and recommend NOT planning or investing in party games. We have just packed up and gone to the park with Will's friends the last two birthdays, and it's been great. Throw in a game of kickball, and it's even better.

Sunday, April 9, 2017

Hello, Spring! We're so glad you're finally here. It's the perfect season to put together a little bug play dough kit, don't you think?

I took the easy route this time around and used pre-made Play Doh. We had several colors still sitting in our basement, so might as well get some use out of them! We chose brown, black and green, but any earthier colors would work well, I think.

We had our bugs and river rocks on hand from other projects. If I remember correctly, the bugs came in a cheap party favor pack we bought at Wal-Mart for preschool. There are usually plenty of rock options available in Wal-Mart's greenery/fake flower section too, but many of them are really small and choking hazards! Choose wisely, here, folks, and wait for the bigger ones!

I purchased a cheap little bag of Sushi grass on Amazon, thinking the kids could make bug habitats with it. I will say, though, the grass isn't crazy durable and some gets bent up. For that reason, I only put a small portion of the grass in the kit and saved the rest to use as replacements!

Add a dollar store magnifying glass and some sticks from your yard (we used little pieces of driftwood I found on the beach last summer), and you've got yourself a play doh bug kit, friends.

We spent a short weekend with Mark's family, and I brought this along for some of the cousins to play with - thinking it would only occupy the littler ones. I was totally surprised to see ALL of the kids - up to 11 years old - having so much fun with it! Our neighbor kids come over (who are even older) and play with our play dough often too. All this to say, no one is ever too old to play play dough, folks.

Monday, April 3, 2017

ThredUp is a thrifty girls dream. Instead of finding a babysitter, driving to your favorite thrift and consignment shops, and spending hours perusing racks and racks of clothing, you can jump on the handy Interweb and go to www.thredup.com. #winning

ThredUp is a great way to buy and sell clothes online. What I love most is that they have a big vision - to transform the way people think about buying secondhand, to help make more expensive brands accessible (most pieces are 75-90% off), and to help people shop consciously. Yay, for more ethical fashion!

A few extra things I love...

The packaging + presentation is amazing.
You know me - I am all about presentation, and ThredUp does not disappoint. It's kind of fun to buy thrifted, cheap things and receive them in fancy packaging. Everything is folded neatly, wrapped in tissue paper, with a cute "enjoy" sticker. Each tag says, "Renewed with Love in San Francisco." Invoices are folded into a special holder at the very top of the box. They even include a little booklet that shares more of their vision through some inspiring quotes and pictures. This is the definition of "happy mail," people.

Free returns!
Just recently, ThredUp added a free return feature to their business. If you don't like what you bought, you can return it using a prepaid shipping label. From there, you can return it for credit at NO charge or return it and pay the shipping/restock fee, which I think was around $7 or $8.

New with tags and like-new clothing
Everything I've ever ordered from ThredUp has been in mint condition. Several pieces still had tags on them. And that weird smell that some thrift stores have? Like mildew and basements? Yeah, these clothes don't have that at all, praise the Lord.

Time saver
When I go old-school thrifting, I always feel like I need to allow hours and hours to really dig through everything. The treasures are usually never at the front of the rack or in your regular size, and it takes time to try on the different sizes and look for the brands you really like. Instead, with ThredUp, you can let a search engine do the heavy lifting. Boom, baby.

A few things I'm unsure of...

Kids Clothing?
I have not found great deals for kids' clothes. Maybe it's just me, but I'm way less willing to spend money on kids' clothes when I know they will be outgrown or ruined in a month. I have been able to find cheaper clothing at our local garage sales, consignment shops and Old Navy clearance.

Selling online?
I have not tried SELLING with ThredUp and, again, use my local outlets and stores for that. I think it'd be worth a try though!

A few tips...

Stay in your lane - shop the brands you already love.
There's no way I can afford to shop at Madewell and Gap regularly, but I know my sizes in those brands, and love the styles they offer. When I buy second hand in these brands, I am usually really happy with my purchases! However, I've tried some random brands I didn't know at ThredUp and found the sizing and fit wasn't what I expected. Since shopping online doesn't allow you to try on different sizes and fits, I think it's best to stick with what you know if you want to be really sure you'll love what you buy.

Take advantage of referral codes, deals and new customer discounts.
If you want to save $10, you can use my referral link. And, if you end up liking ThredUp, you can use your own referral link to continue to add money to your account. I check the website often for deals, and have scored some 50% off promotions, $50 off my order, etc. It's worth perusing and looking for!